Saturday will be another day at school for some students as they wake up early to take a mock ACT starting at 9 a.m. on Jan. 11.

“In years past, we’ve had around 30-40 LHS students take it.  We have similar expectations this year,” college counselor Randy Trevino said. “This is the third year that LHS has hosted a mock ACT, and it’s reasonably common for other schools to host as well (not all, though).”

High school students are told all about the SAT and ACT throughout the years, but they may not know the difference between the two tests.

“It’s important for each student to take both the ACT and SAT as it’s likely that performance will be higher on one over the other,” Trevino said. “A student will not know which is stronger unless they take both.  Most colleges and universities accept either exam and will most likely utilize whichever is higher between the two for admission and scholarship decisions, so a student won’t have anything to lose by taking both, and could potentially have much to gain.”

When it comes to university admittance, there is now consensus on which test is best.

“The SAT is slightly more common in Texas than the ACT, but ACT is still common,” Trevino said. “All Texas colleges and universities recognize both.”

Trevino believes it’s important for students to take both tests and also any and all practice opportunities.

“Mock ACT is a cost-effective opportunity to identify growth-areas for the real ACT,” Trevino said. “We encourage taking it.”

Students interested in taking Saturday’s mock ACT, should see Randy Trevino in the college and career counseling center. The Mock ACT costs $10, or $15 as a package deal with the SAT.